Fox News Media executives sent a memo to staffers Wednesday praising moderator Chris Wallace’s “professionalism, skill and fortitude” during the widely panned first presidential debate between President Trump and Democratic nominee Joseph R. Biden.
“We’d like to take a moment to thank and congratulate Chris Wallace for moderating last night’s extraordinary debate,” Fox News Media CEO Suzanne Scott and President Jay Wallace wrote in the joint memo.
“We are extremely proud of his professionalism, skill and fortitude in a unique situation while doing everything possible to hold both candidates accountable,” the memo stated, in part. “No moderator could have managed a debate of that magnitude better than Chris.”
Mr. Wallace has come under intense criticism for his moderation of Tuesday’s debate, which many described as a complete debacle with both candidates repeatedly interrupting each other and trading insults.
Multiple Fox News colleagues criticized Mr. Wallace’s performance, including Laura Ingraham, Brian Kilmeade and Greg Gutfeld.
“It bothers me,” Mr. Wallace responded in an interview with The Associated Press. “If they want to say they like Trump, or that they’re upset with the Democrats, that’s fine. That’s opinion. That’s what they do for a living.
“I don’t like them bashing the media, because oftentimes what they’re bashing is stuff that we on the news side are doing,” he said. “I don’t think they recognize that they have a role at Fox News and we have a role at Fox News. I don’t know what’s in their head. I just think it’s bad form.”
